It turns out that the coating process completely ruins the color of polished copper. It also destroys the beautiful green color of the verdigris coating. Verdigris can be easily made by putting the copper item under an air tight plastic tent along with a bowl of vinegar. Verdigris will even grow all by itself it the copper is pre treated with hydrochloric acid, washed, polished and set in a room temperature location. Unfortunately, heating the copper item to the 400°F necessary to melt the plastic powder coat, causes the copper acetate to change to copper oxide while releasing water vapor and CO2. The result is a very shiny, black/orange/yellow mesh.

Now I am faced with stripping a baked on polyurethane finish off of six of my woven items. Then I have to polish them and redo the verdigris on the 11 pound basket. Then I have to build an air tight glove box with large window. I will insert a polished item, purge with argon, fire up a pair of stove elements and heat the item to 400°F, levitate a pound or two of powder coat powder, allow it to melt onto the item, then keep at temperature (by radiative heating from the internal heaters) until a good coating has been achieved. Another month or two delay. I am not even going to post pictures of the coated items, they are so sorry. Dark copper color but shiny. Yucckk.